A Brit in the South: March 2015

Saturday, 21 March 2015

EVENT REVIEW: Deerstalker 5km(ish) OCR / Trail Run

Last year was the absolute brutality of the Mighty Deerstalker. Officially 10km plus a little, it clocked in at somewhere around the 16km mark, a vast chunk of it either going up or down two of the splendid looking hills around Innerleithen. It hurt me, both physically and mentally, and I really fancied another crack at it.

But not this year. This year I thought I’d try and conquer its younger brother, the Deerstalker. A mere 5km (plus a bit) this is still not an easy event. Yes you avoid the massive second hill and you don’t have to do it with only the light of your head torch to guide you – but it is still plenty hard enough thank you very much.

I decided to do a separate review for this despite doing one for Mighty Deerstalker last year as there is enough difference in the event to warrant it. As always, the grading system is covered elsewhere on the blog archive but essentially, the higher the number the better. I’ve reworded some of the categories to more accurately reflect what is looked at in each section but other than that it is business as usual.

So I, once again, present Team MUBU’s “Seriously how good was that?” review.

DEERSTALKER

5km(ish) Trail Run

March 14^th 2015

Innerleithen

Lots of ascending and descending (often down very narrow tracks) coupled with river crossings and muddy fields, this is not your typical OCR. Essentially devoid of man-made obstacles this is trail running with a bit of mud thrown in for fun.

Pre-Race Day Organisation (formerly “Event Organisation)

Rat Race events are pretty standard and pretty slick by this point. Easy to sign up for, plenty of information through the months and a good Essential Event Information leaflet via email a few weeks before hand. Nothing overly flashy but solid and consistent.

8 – Very Good

Event Facilities

A couple of food and drink stalls plus a large bar and a rat race shop (though I was a bit disappointed they didn’t have all the old t-shirts cheap like last year). The campsite was big enough and there were plenty of toilets available. Throw in a manned valuables drop off (and unmanned bag drop) and you’ve got almost everything you need.

8 – Very Good

Registration and Race Day Organisation (formerly “Registration”)

Once again Rat Race is pretty slick and standard. There is a tent for signing your disclaimer (with free Red Bull for Rick!) and the actual registration process is pretty simple as long as you have your ID. No ID no race though. You get everything you need with your race pack (no numbers) and you even get your nice technical race T-shirt beforehand so you can get it filthy if you wish.

8 – Very Good

Location and Watchability (formerly “Location”)

It is a bit of a drive from Manchester but the setting is beautiful – in and around a stately home and through plenty of lovely scenery. There are enough spots for people to watch the action at various stages in the race and the view of all the headtorches making their way around the hillside once the sun has gone down is difficult to beat.

8 – Very Good

On course facilities

Lots of marshals and paramedics dotted around, though some sections are strangely devoid of people and in the dark there is the potential for accident and worse. It wasn’t a problem for us but the later racers might have struggled. No distance markers but there is one water station which you pass about 2km from the end.

6 – Above Average

Warm-up and briefings (formerly “Warm-Up)

Well there was a bit of a warm up and a bit of a safety briefing so I guess that is something. The warm-up was unfortunately done once everyone was in the start pen so there was no space to do anything and it was also done 3-4 minutes before the off, so you were cold before the race started.

6 – Above Average

Variety of obstacles

Despite the claims, this isn’t really an OCR. This is a trail run with a few dips into the river and a couple of other natural obstacles to navigate. You won’t need much (if any) upper body strength for this one but your legs will take a hammering from the hills

4 – Below Average

Obstacle-to-run Mix

Plenty of running, very few obstacles. There is enough variety in the running to keep you interested (elevation changes, different terrains etc..) but there is still an awful lot of running with very few obstacles to break the flow

5 – Average

Usage of Terrain and Nature (formerly “Terrain”)

Oh there is a lot of “terrain” on this one. Plenty of hill climbs (even more on the night race) and there are not many flat bits to negotiate. The river winds its way through the course and you dip in it a few times to cool off and get some respite from climbing. They couldn’t really do much more with what they have to work with.

8 – Very Good

Post-Race Pack

As always with the Rat Race events you get a decent post-race pack (thankfully quite devoid of the usual assortment of flyers and leaflets that some events throw at you). A nice chunky medal, better than the bottle opener affair they had last year, as well as a technical T-shirt (which you get pre-race), a curly wurly and a half pint of ale great you at the end. Plus you could pose for a free post-race photo this year which was a nice touch (most event photos are becoming too expensive these days). AND a nice rag appeared in the post today too :-D

8 – Very Good

Course Difficulty: 7

Obstacle Difficulty: 4

The course is tough, especially for those of you (like me) who aren’t natural trail or hill runners – or in fact natural runners. But it is quite short so you should be able to drag yourself round without too much hassle, and there are numerous spot where you can’t really run due to the terrain so a forced walk is required. Obstacle wise, there is nothing here – no upper body strength required and the odd river dip doesn’t really challenge anyone.

Overall Thoughts

Armed with the knowledge of what this race actually entailed this time I was able to enjoy myself a lot more than last time. The event itself (with the camping and after party etc..) is really good in terms of feeling like a proper trip away, rather than drive there, run, drive back. Everytime I leave the next morning it is with a sense of, “shall I do that again?”. I definitely feel that the Mighty Deerstalker is calling me back again soon, maybe not next year but we shall see.

Overall Score

7.0 – Definitely a different sort of challenge, but one that is always potentially on the “to do list” each year.

A reminder of the new system

10.0 Nothing will ever get 10.0, you should always strive for better

9.5 Sell organs AND children. And everything you own. About as good as it gets

9.0 Sell organs and/or children to do this event every single time

8.5 Highly recommended indeed, this gets booked as soon as it is released

8.0 A very good event, only money or illness would stop this being a yearly thing

7.5 Definitely one to recommend. Not much would keep me away

7.0 On the list for another go, though not necessarily an automatic selection

6.5 Would do this one again if the stars aligned, but wouldn’t break the bank for it

6.0 Was fun but only a very cheap deal and a free weekend would tempt me again

below 6.0 Not for me for one reason or another.

EVENT REVIEWS SO FAR

8.0 Tough Guy

7.5 Reaper Day Race

7.5 Yorkshire Warrior

7.0 Tough Mudder North West

7.0 Survival of the Fittest Manchester

7.0 Spartan Sprint Yorkshire

7.0 Total Warrior Lake District

7.0 Avalanche - Chase the Yeti

7.0 Deerstalker

6.5 Mighty Deerstalker

6.5 Pandemonium Iced

6.5 Stockton River Rat Race

6.0 Ram Run

Next up is Yorkshire Warrior on 18^th April. Rick and I LOVED this last time and we can’t wait to take John and Natalie with us this time around. Hopefully I’ll have regained some semblance of fitness in order to give this one the respect it deserves. It is 16km, in the depths of the Yorkshire hills and a whole lot of fun!

Till next time,

REVIEW: Arrows of the Queen (Heralds of Valdemar #1) by Mercedes Lackey

Another author who appears to have been missing off my radar for some reason is Mercedes Lackey. Prolific since the mid-1980s I’m slightly surprised it has taken me so long to delve into her work. At last count the Valdemar series numbers somewhere in the order of 20-30 books so it is going to take a long time to get through them! First up though is the Heralds of Valdemar series, and book #1 Arrows of the Queen.

**SPOILER ALERT**

Lackey’s Valdemar world is typical of the fantasy genre; with magic, tales from the time of legends, guardians, political infighting and other “standard” plot devices too numerous to name. But the first of these was written in 1987 and the fact that they are still relevant, interesting and enjoyable is testament to the skills of Lackey. Yes these are obviously first novels and there isn’t quite the depth of character or the layers of storytelling but this is still a fantastic introduction to the world of Valdemar and its Heralds.

Talia is a young girl from the Hold – a kind of uber-strict Amish community that eschews all contact with the outside world and has some very strange (what we might term “medieval”) ideas about woman and their place in society. Talia dreams of becoming a Herald, a guardian of good, but unfortunately that dream seems a million miles away. Until the day she is told she will be married off and she runs away.

From there her adventures begin; she finds a Companion, horse-like creatures who “choose” the Herald whom they will be bound to. The Companion Chooses her and before Talia knows it she is off to live out her dream in the capital. Obviously things don’t quite go according to plan and before she knows it she is involved in political intrigue, power struggles and the usual shenanigans that greet life at court.

Lackey’s world is beautifully created, and there is a refreshing innocence to the writing and the story telling that mimics the innocent way in which Talia initially sees the world and her situation.

Unlike large numbers of “coming of age” stories where the character meets opposition, mistrust and sometimes hatred at every corner there is a pleasant aspect to this book. Talia is welcomed (generally) with open arms into the Collegium and the focus is on her coming to terms with her new position, rather than having to fight tooth-and-nail to be accepted. This allows Lackey to advance the story quicker so that the “getting to know you” period at the start of the book is shorter and drags less than can often be the case.

Though not a long book there is still plenty of time for Lackey to develop her key characters and their interactions with each other, to the point that the loss of one of the main protagonists towards the end of the book is genuinely a downer. They might not be the most complex characters but they work within the framework Lackey has set out. Sometimes the character development and plot development can be incongruous but the two elements travel alongside each other nicely here.

The story itself is not terribly complicated or unique but that does not mean it is unenjoyable, far from it. Lackey generates enough intrigue and interest to keep you turning the pages and there is plenty to suggest that there is a lot more to come as her writing matures and we get further into the series.

As a starter for a series though, this is very good indeed. It draws you into it in a very uncomplicated manner and doesn’t overload you with information too quickly. Some may prefer to get all the relevant data upfront but I like how she brings in what she needs when she needs it, all the while ensuring that she retains continuity and without destabilising the story or the characters within.

Verdict: 4.5 stars out of 5 – A charming and intriguing entrance into the Valdemar series with good characters, a plot with enough about it and a genuine feeling of care and attention which gives you confidence that even better is to come.

Till next time,
DT

REVIEW: The Novice (Black Magician #2) by Trudi Canavan

“Swords and Sourcery” is definitely my type of thing. Give me a good magic system, a bit of political intrigue and a world similar to Middle Earth and I’ll indulge myself for weeks (if not years) at a time. Brandon Sanderson is my favourite author for generating these worlds but J.R.R Tolkein, George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan, Robin Hobb and, now, Trudi Canavan are certainly up there on my list of “must-reads”.

**SPOILER ALERT**

I discovered Canavan’s “Black Magician” trilogy quite recently and hammered through the opening book in a very short space of time. The second one, The Novice, picks up from the end of The Magician’s Guild and takes the story of Sonea forward as she begins school and tries to become a magician herself.

The Novice is a classic example of the second book in a series; the initial introductions to most of the key people and the world they inhabit is complete and the focus is now more firmly on the narrative and the direction in which it is heading.

The world Canavan has created is not really different from the majority of the worlds on which this genre typically finds itself. There are power struggles at play, warring nations to worry about and a general sense of unease which indicates things are unlikely to remain as they are for a while. But this is not unusually nor unwelcome, and at least Canavan manages to keep things relatively simple and not try to do too much all at once. We learn snippets as we go along, enough to tantalise without giving the whole thing away.

Story wise, Canavan weaves several plotlines together very well here. While the bulk of the tale focuses on Sonea, the bullying she encounters from the other students and her ongoing attempts to control her abilities, I actually really enjoyed the sections involving Dannyl’s adventures trying to track down what the High Lord learnt on his travels.

This is going to play a much more significant part in the final book and Canavan always manages to pick the right moment to change tack with the narrative. She manages to build the story very well using these seemingly disparate elements. Dannyl’s burgeoning homosexual relationship with his assistant is another interesting facet of this thread of the narrative and not something which is regularly dealt with in this genre. Canavan deals with it sensitively and credibly and rather than being some kind of “gimmick” I feel it really does contribute to the storyline.

We start to learn a bit more about characters such as the High Lord Akkarin, Sonea’s teachers at the Guild and also Sonea’s guardian Rothen. The interactions between these people and others such as Rothen’s son, Sonea’s classmates and Akkarin’s old friend (who happens to be the old friend of the High Lord) help to further the web of intrigue that we feel as we get further through the tale. Sonea’s probable role in the denouement (her “destiny” if you will) is pretty well defined at this point but the nuances of how it will come about are still up in the air.

You get the sense that all the chess pieces are being subtly moved around the board ready for the final endgame which is coming. High Lord Akkarin particularly is a complex and very interesting character and one which you sense will play a fundamental (and perhaps unexpected) role in what is to come.

Overall this is a very enjoyable book, it builds really nicely on the first book and positions everything in place ready for the finale. There is nothing particularly special here, nothing which makes it stand out head and shoulders above other series in this genre but everything is still very good. The characters are engaging and intriguing, the storyline is interesting enough to hold your attention and the promises of what is to come and definitely sufficient to have book #3 very high up my “to-read” list at the moment.

Verdict: 4.5 stars out of 5 – An intriguing and entertaining read with a great magic system, interesting characters and plenty of plot to keep you guessing.

Till next time,

REVIEW: The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul by Douglas Adams

Having always been a huge fan of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (H2G2) I was slightly surprised with myself at taking so long to begin reading Douglas Adams’ Dirk Gently novels. I guess part of me didn’t believe that they’d live up to the H2G2 and so I was loathe to try them in case they disappointed. The first one, Dirk Gently’s Holisitic Detective Agency was only “not bad” so it was with a slight sense of trepidation that I approached #2, The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul (hereafter referred to as LDT).

It has taken me so long to review this because, to be honest, I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it! Douglas Adams has always had a somewhat disconcerting effect on some people. Maybe it is his quirky sense of humour or his “grasshopper” mind which never seems to stay on the same topic for long. Or it could be something else. Usually I’m in tune with his method but I’m genuinely flummoxed with this one.

Sometimes I think it is pure genius and I can crack through page after page almost in tears from laughing. Other times I don’t really understand what is going on and find even a few pages a very hard slog. LDT is a very surreal experience, mimicking Adams’ own mind and the methodology of his creation. Gently is at times genius, infuriating and often just plain odd and the plot is similarly patchy.

Certain parts of the story don’t seem to fit, the overall plot kind of makes sense but elements of it just feel as though they aren’t in the right place or at the right time. I found a few of the storylines that are being wound together to be tight and coherent and others just seemed like they’d been copied in from elsewhere by accident. It was hard to really get into this book unless I was really concentrating – which isn’t really Adams’ style I don’t think.

The characters were similarly hard to get around. Having read the first Dirk Gently book I was at least prepared for him, but the others didn’t fire the imagination or really draw me in to the story in the way I like to be.

Overall it has proven very difficult to get a handle on this one, it is probably the most confused I’ve been at the end of a book in terms of my feelings about it.

Some parts of it I loved, others I didn’t. Sometimes the story flew by, other times it dragged and seemed to tie itself in knots that needed a rather large spade for extrication. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, but curiously enough I would also say that everyone who likes Adams and his style should read it!

Verdict: 3.5 stars out of 5 – Give it a go of you like Adams and the sort of irreverence his books bring. Just don’t be surprised if you get to the end and don’t really know how you feel about it!

Till nex time,

Friday, 6 March 2015

EVENT REVIEW: Avalanche : Chase the Yeti - 10km OCR

After sitting and watching last time out (Tough Guy) it was time to get back into the saddle and see how far the fitness has gone. It was never going to be pretty but the first step is always the toughest and you’ve got to take it sometime.

No Rick this time as he didn’t fancy the travel, plus he has the brutality of The Mighty Deerstalker in a few weeks to train for. So just Nat and I braved the chilly air and biting wind of Avalanche - Chase the Yeti.

I’m going to spare you the suspense, we didn’t catch him. Nevertheless, here is the latest instalment of Team MUBU’s "Seriously, How Good Was That?!" Obstacle Course Race Review. The scoring criteria and categories are covered in a previous post which is somewhere on this blog (see bottom left in the Archive).

AVALANCHE – CHASE THE YETI

10km Obstacle/Mud Run

February 28^th 2015

Market Harborough

Avalanche Adventure is an outdoor adventure company based in Market Harborough. Think quad biking, clay pigeon shooting and that kind of think. Every year (usually very early in the year) an event is run on their land – this is Chase the Yeti.

General Event Organisation

Dead easy to sign up for and plenty of information via email in the run up to the event. Not brilliantly signed posted but, to be honest, the sat nav took us pretty much straight there. No complaints, a slick and efficient operation.

8 – Very Good

Event Facilities

A couple of eateries and some (not enough though) toilets on site. Plentiful free parking and a resident guy on the microphone keeping people abreast of timings and such like. It was a pretty small event contained in a small area so they were able to keep everything running smoothly

6 – Above Average

Registration

Really simple and pretty quick. Everything was inside the pack and there were no big queues or mayhem as there have been at some of the events we have done.

7 - Good

Location

A reasonable drive from Manchester but it was pretty easy to find and get to. Permanent facility so it allowed them to work the course around what was there. Lots of spectator viewpoints on the early and late stages of the race too.

7 – Good

On Course Facilities

A water station around halfway, distance markers every 1km and plenty of marshals around to keep you pointing in the right direction and looking after the major obstacles. Everyone was exceptionally friendly and enthusiastic so it gets a bonus point for that.

8 – Very Good

Warm-Up/Pre-race briefings

Good solid warm-up which got us in the mood. Also the timing was good so we were still warm when we actually started!

7 - Good

Variety of obstacles

Pretty standard really. Things to go over, things to go under, things to go round, things to go through. Nothing particularly “signature” but enough variety to keep all parts of the body interested and warm.

7 – Good

Obstacle/Run mix

Some heavy running sections in the middle of the race but generally this was a pretty good balance. We didn’t see too many queues either so the mix must have been pretty good to keep it relatively clear.

7 - Good

Terrain

Pretty flat this one. A few sections in the quad biking area where artificially hilly but no real deviation from the flat. I did struggle massively in the ploughed fields as every time my foot went down on the uneven ground my ankle rolled. I know it is meant to be a muddy run but these can be a touch dangerous at time.

7 - Good

Post-Race

Nice clean white technical t-shirt but unfortunately no medal for this one. A can of lager/cider was provided though as well as a decent goodie bag with some supplements, a drinks bottle and a few munchy goodies. Oh, and a banana. I’m all about bling though so I’m afraid no medal is a disappointment,

6 – Above Average

Difficulty

This wasn’t actually a very hard race, my fitness made it feel like that but it is probably one of the easier ones I’ve done. The course won’t trouble anyone with a level of fitness and even the obstacles seemed “lighter” than some of the more brutal races out there.

Course: 5 out of 10

Obstacles: 6 out of 10

Overall Thoughts

I was (and still am) chronically unfit. I’m probably in the worst shape since I started these OCRs but I still managed to enjoy myself at this one. Having Nat around helped (though it was clear she barely broke sweat). This was a nice, small race that I enjoyed a lot and I’d love to tackle again when fully fit.

Overall Score

7.0 – As you can see from the rankings this was a pretty consistently “Good” race. It wasn’t very expensive compared to comparable length ones such as Spartan, SOTF and River Rat so I’d certainly recommend it. Probably as an “entry level” one, the top end of the community won’t find it too much of a challenge in it.